Generations of women helped build and preserve the character of Niagara-on-the-Lake — a legacy Janice Thomson, the town’s 2015 citizen of the year, former head of the Chamber of Commerce and the leader of many more organizations across the region, says still shapes the town today.
As communities marked International Women’s Day this week, she reflected on those women and the community that stood beside her during a difficult year.
Thomson has been battling cancer, which resurfaced last summer following her initial diagnosis and treatment three years ago.
“Niagara-on-the-Lake has a bedrock of community strength — developed by many women dedicated to its natural beauty, heritage and culture,” said Thomson.
A longtime figure in the town’s tourism and civic life, Thomson spent 18 years leading the NOTL Chamber of Commerce.
“Moving to Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1995 opened many opportunities to serve my new community,” she said.
Thomson has held numerous leadership roles in the Niagara region, including nine years with the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, two of them as chair, and nine years as a commissioner with the Niagara Parks Commission, including eight years as chair.
She currently serves on the boards of Niagara Health System, CAA Niagara and CAA National.
She said those roles allowed her to help shape Niagara’s international bridge crossings, help steward the 56 kilometres of natural beauty maintained by the parks commission, support regional healthcare and contribute to the work of CAA.
“I cannot imagine a higher honour than serving in these roles,” she said.
In 2023, Thomson received some life-changing news.
She was diagnosed with uterine cancer and underwent a hysterectomy followed by eight weeks of radiation.
Then, the cancer resurfaced last June as a tumour near her left ureter that affected her kidney.
“My instinct was to close myself off and handle the battle on my own,” she said.
Since last July, she has undergone six surgeries to place a kidney drain and six rounds of chemotherapy, and has been receiving immunotherapy treatments every six weeks since December.
She said she’s optimistic about her recovery.
“Following the oncologist’s directions of improving rest, reducing stress and making recovery my number one priority has not been easy — but I feel it is working,” she said.
Although her instinct when the cancer returned last June was to face it alone, the community she has spent years championing had something else in mind.
“The generosity of business colleagues, friends and family was remarkable,” she said.
“Doctor’s orders were to eliminate stress, rest and follow good nourishment and exercise protocols, but the community had other ideas. Surely, I needed more homemade soup, more muffins, more companionship.”
She said she is grateful for the support she received and that when she needed time alone to focus on medical appointments and treatments, those around her, including her stepmother Elena Thompson and friend Nora McLellan, respected that.
NOTL’s character and history, Thomson said, have been shaped by generations of women — from historic leaders to educators, winemakers and community volunteers — supporting efforts from the early days of the Shaw Festival to grassroots campaigns to protect local services and the environment.
“From women lending living room furniture to the fledgling Shaw Festival for set pieces, to women hosting parties for Shaw actors and opening nights at their properties, to organizing fundraisers to preserve community services,” she said, such as “to save the local hospital.”
“The names behind these many efforts are legendary,” she added, mentioning NOTL Museum founder Janet Carnochan and community volunteers Margherita Howe and Laura Dodson.
She also shouted out women in the world of winemarking, such as Madame Bosc, Norma Jean Lowrey Harber, Debi Pratt, Sandra Marynissen, Donna Lailey, Suzanne Jahnke, Sherri Lockwood, Connie Pillitteri and Andrea Kaiser.
Thomson also pointed to historic Niagara figure Laura Secord and community figure Si Wai Lai, along with Bluma Appel and Angie Strauss, as well as educators such as Pam Voth and Julia Murray, and women she said represented NOTL’s strengths in agriculture and preservation through work with government: Blanche Quinn, Austin Kirkby and Gracia Janes.
She highlighted “the ladies of all the local churches” who established seasonal fruit celebrations and shared “treasured family recipes and traditions,” noting their legacy includes families such as “the Hunters, the Dineleys, the Lepps, the Epps, the Moris, the Kurtzs, the Andres, the Dyck and Dick families, (the) Van deLaars,” as well as “the founders of the annual Candlelight Stroll — Trish Romance and the Newville Candle factory and Neudorp family.”
Thomson said her journey began earlier in the automotive industry, where she said male mentors shared their knowledge of the business and trusted her abilities, including Jaguar Canada president John Mackie, Jaguar vice-president of sales John Webb, Jaguar vice-president of service Brian Green and BMW Canada president Vic Doolan.
At age 30, Thomson became national sales manager for BMW Canada.
“I had the unflagging support of my parents,” she said, adding they encouraged independence and reminded her she was “made of sterner stuff” and could accomplish whatever she set her mind to.
Moving to NOTL in her mid-40s, she said, made her appreciate the lifelong ties many local families share and the way those relationships shape the town’s sense of community.
“Their understanding of what makes our community strong and their willingness to share with all newcomers inspires me,” she said.
Asked what advice she would give younger women hoping to lead or make a difference, Thomson pointed to the example set by generations before them.
“Above all, be humble,” she said. “Follow and learn from the outstanding women — and their families — who have set phenomenal examples of loving where you live.”
